At Intersect Aspen Art and Design Fair, the work of artist Meghann Riepenhoff offers a poignant dialogue between past and present.
Intersect Aspen (July 30 to August 3, intersectaspen.com) offers one of the best opportunities for a fresh perspective. Enter photographer Meghann Riepenhoff (meghannriepenhoff.com), an artist celebrated for her unique captures of the essence of the natural world through her pioneering use of cyanotypes, a process dating back to 1842. Unlike traditional photography that freezes a moment in time, Riepenhoff’s work embodies the continuous flow of time, illustrating our transient connection with the environment. Her artworks are created without a camera, using paper coated with iron salts exposed to ultraviolet light. She engages directly with the elements—allowing river and ocean currents, wind, water, and sediment to leave their mark, and exposes the paper to weather phenomena like rain or snow to capture the fleeting impressions of nature.
Riepenhoff’s process is as much about the unpredictability of her materials as it is about her artistic vision. Each piece is a collaboration with nature, with conditions like melting ice, falling rain, and crashing waves contributing to the outcome. This method ensures that no two pieces are ever alike, each a unique testament to the moment and movement they capture.
